Foundry flask



Oct.28, 1958 y B. G. WITTE 2,857,640

FOUNDRY FLASK Filed may 1o, 195e W www United States Patent O FoUNDRY FLASK Bernard G. Witte, Newaygo, Mich., assignor to Newaygo Engineering Company, Newaygo, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application May 10, 1956, Serial No. 584,076

1 Claim. (Cl. 22-107) This invention relates to foundry flasks and more par ticularly to snap flasks of the type which open and close by providing movable joints at two corners of the flask.

A foundry flask consists of two parts, a cope and a drag. The cope and drag are each in turn comprised of two sections, each including two walls integrally connected together to form a flask half. The two flask halves or sections are operatively connected together at two corners in such a fashion that when forming the mold two corners are brought substantially together. When the mold is formed a releasing mechanism permits the two sections at the corners to part facilitating the removal of the flask from the mold.

One difficulty that has been experienced in this type flask is regulating the closing movement of the two sections at the corners. The two sections are either closed too tightly at the corners or too great a space is provided permitting too much sand -to squeeze out of the corners. The exact spacing of the sections at the corners depends upon the type and composition of the sands used in making the mold. This invention provides a means for regulating the spacing between the two flask sections at the jointed corners.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel locking mechanism at the separable corners of a ask, such mechanism providing a means for regulating the spacing between the two sections at the jointed corner.

Still another object of this invention is to provide such a locking mechanism with which the spacing between the two sections of the flask can be regulated for different types and compositions of sand.

Other objects of this invention will become obvious upon reading the following specication in conjunction with the accompanied drawings wherein:

Fig. l is an oblique view of the cope part of a ask having two separable sections.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged partially broken plan view of one of the separable corners of the flask.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional, elevational, view of the corner of the flask taken along the plane III-III of Fig. 2 and illustrating in detail the locking mechanism for the corner.

Briefly, this invention is concerned with a snap flask having separable corner flanges with opposed faces. Guide pins aresecured to one of the flanges and extend toward the face of the second ange. The second corner ange has holes for receiving these pins. Intermediate the two pins and extending through both of the flanges is a means for forcing the two flanges toward each other.

A means is also provided for forcing the two flanges apart. This means consists of a spring seated in a recess in the end of the guide pin and also in the hole of the other ange. This helical spring is compressed and thus tends to force the two flanges apart.

This invention has means for regulating the spacing between the two faces of the corner llanges. This means Consists of several pairs of opposed stopper pegs. One

of the pegs of each pair is secured to one flange and the other is secured to the other flange. The two pegs have tapered ends so that when contacting each other there is substantially a one point contact preventing any sand from jamming the mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes the top half of a flask which is commonly referred to as the cope. For purposes of simplicity in describing this invention which is related to the mechanism at the corner of both the cope and the drag, only the cope is shown and will be described. It should be understood that the mechanism shown in Figs. 2 and 3 applies to both the cope and drag.

The cope 1 includes the two sections 10 and 20 each having two integral walls substantially perpendicular to each other. Each of the walls of section 20 have a flange 21 extending oblique therefrom. The walls of section 10 have the flanges 11 extending oblique therefrom and parallel to flanges 21.

The flange 11 has a face 12 opposite the face 22 of flange 21 (Figs. 2 and 3). These two faces are parallel and spaced one from another. This space permits the excess sand to squeeze out of the corner when compress-v ing the sand into a mold.

Figs. 2 and 3 show in detail the locking mechanism for the corner. This mechanism consists of two alignment pins 23 secured to the flange 21 by means of an intermediate threaded portion 24 threaded into the tapped hole 25 of the flange 21. The pins 23 are locked in position by the nut 26 on the reduced threaded end portion 27 of the pins. The end 27 of the pin has a slot 28 which permits adjustment of the pin by a screw driver or other suitable tool for adjusting the tension of spring 17.

The pins 23 extend from the face 22 of flange 21 into the blind openings on holes 13 of the flange 11. The holes 13 are positioned so as to be aligned with the pins. On the bottom of the hole 13 is a hard metal disc 14 which is resistant to wear. An aperture 15, extending through the ange 11 from the hole 13, is provided to facilitate insertion and removal of the disc 14.

The pins 23 each have a circular recess 16 in their ends. Those recesses receive the helical springs 17 which bear against the discs 14 and the bottom of the recess 16. When assembled, the spring 17 is slightly compressed. Thus it biases the two flanges 11 and 21 apart.

The two flanges are forced and held together by the mechanism 30 located between the two pins 23. This mechanism 30 includes a post 31 extending through and freely slidable in apertures 32 in both the tianges 11 and 21. The post 31 is threaded at one end for receiving the nut 33. At the other'end 34 it has a slot (not shown) for receiving the cam end of the lever 35. The lever 35 is pivotally mounted in the slot of the post 31 by the pin 36. The cam end of lever 35 has two cam surfaces 37 and 38 joined together atv the juncture point 37a. These surfaces are shaped so that in the position as shown in Fig. 3, the two flanges are forced toward each other, while in a second position where the cam surface 38 bears against the plate 39, the flanges are permitted to part a certain amount.

The cam plate 39 is a hardened metal plate which is resistant to wear. The cam edges 37 and 33 and the washer 4t) on which the nut 33 bears are also hardened to resist wear.

The spacing between the faces 12 and 22 of flanges 11 and 21 is regulated by the pegs 50 and 51. The pegs 50 are press tted into the holes 53 in any well known manner. Thus, they are permanently mounted and only can be removed by punching them out with any suitable tool.

The pegs 51 are adjustably mounted in the partly threaded aperture 54 by the threaded portion 55. Each peg 51 is locked in place by a set screw 56 (Fig. 2) extending transversely of the passage 54.

Operation The operation of this flask is comparatively easy. First the desired spacing between the two anges is de termined and then the peg 51 adjusted so as to ygive this desired spacing. This is accomplished by loosening set screw 56 and adjusting the threaded end 55. When the desired adjustment is made, the set screw 56 is tightened locking the peg 51 in place. It is then necessary to adjust the position of pin 23 so as to pre vent the end of thepin from striking and bottoming on the disc 14. As illustrated in Fig. 3 the pin 23 should always be spaced from the disc 14 in either `open lor closed position in order to permit the pegs 50 and 51 to function properly.

After adjusting peg 51 it is necessary to adjust `the nut 33 of the mechanism 30 so that when the cam face 37 bears against the cam plate 39 the two ends of the pegs 50 and 51 touch.

After having lmade all these adjustments `the flask `is used by first closing the corner by simply actuating lever 35 upwardly into the position shown. Then `the mold sand is compacted into the flask to form the mold. When the ask is to be removed, the lever 35 is pushed downwardly releasing the corners and permitting the spring 17 to force the two flanges apart. This releases the walls of the ask from the sand permitting the flask to be easily removed from the mold. It should be realized that in this entire operation the two pegs which are tapered at the end permit sand to pass around them and enter into the space between the two flanges. There is substantially a one point contact between the pegs 50 and 51, therefore, eliminating any possibility of the sand jamming a corner and preventing the cammed .lever from closing the corner.

The pegs 50 and 51 can be seen by the operator and thus when they are contacted the regulating operation can be visualized. This eliminates regulation by feel alone and gives a positive regulating mechanism.

Having described my invention, it should be understood that although a preferred embodiment has been shown, other embodiments and modifications are possible Within the scope of this invention. Therefore, all modications and embodiments of this invention are intended to be covered except as expressly provided in the appended claim.

I claim:

A snap flask having separable first and second corner flanges with opposed faces; a bolt extending through said anges and having at one end an adjustable nut and at the other end an elongated longitudinal slot; a cam lever having a at plate portion extending into said slot and pivotally mounted therein about a pivotal axis normal to the longitudinal axis of said bolt; a flat cam surface on one of said flanges and arranged around said bolt at the slotted end thereof; said flat plate .portion having two adjacent straight cam edge portions spaced at different radial distances from said pivotal axis and adapted to 'alternately bear against said cam surface, said edge portions being joined together at a juncture point; said cam lever when pivoted to a closed position causing one of said edge portions to engage said cam surface positioning the anges in a closed position and the other edge portion `to disengage said cam surface; said Icani lever when pivoted to `open position causing the other of saidedge yportions to engage l'said cam surface `positioning the flanges inlopen position and the one edge portion to vdisengage said cam surface; guide pins `adjustably secured to a `first ilange and extending into blind openings in `said second iilange, said `pins being `adjustable to prevent their bottoming when said cam lever is pivoted to a closing position; said guide pins `each having 'a recess in its'end; a helical spring seated in each of said recesses and blind openings thereby biasing said anges apart; and two pairs of opposed stopper `pegs mounted in said flanges one pair on each side of said bolt, both having tapered ends extending toward each other for limiting the extent of the closing of said anges Without interference from said particles; at least one of said pegs of 'each pair having means for adjustably `mounting itA to one of said flanges whereby the limit of the extent of closing can be adjusted to correspond with the adjustment ofthe nuton said bolt and whereby said pegs will prevent relative movement of said anges in one direction thereby holding and retaining said one cam edge portion against said cam surface to prevent accidental disengagement therewith.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,954,447 Greenway Apr. 10, 1934 2,453,893 Castagnola Nov. 16, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 667,599 Great Britain Mar. 5, 1952 

